FORMER Spiders player Josh McPake returned to haunt his old club with a late St Johnstone sucker-punch.
Sean Crighton’s side had gone toe-to-toe with the league leaders and looked set to claim a deserved point for their efforts until McPake stole in on the right-side and squeezed a winner past Calum Ferrie from a tight angle.
The Spiders were punished by their former player – the in-form winger of the league – but for the most part he was kept quiet by Carlo Pignatiello until the very last chance.
The in-form striker of the league had already levelled for the home side.
Josh Fowler scored a wonderful equaliser just before half-time that sent The city Stadium wild. His strike, knee-slide and J14 celebration had the home sections buzzing at the interval.
It capped a positive first half from Queen’s Park. At times they got their press just right and enjoyed large swathes of possession – even more than the Spiders conceded in Dingwall last week – but you could never say this was one-sided.
Not by a long way.
St Johnstone threatened early and took the lead by turning over possession from a Queen’s Park attacking free-kick. A quick counter and snap finish off the post from Kai Fotheringham beating Ferrie on the break.
The keeper had parried a Fotheringham header in the third minute in one of two clear-cut Saints chances in the first half.
Queen’s Park had their own chances too.
Eight minutes later Louis Longridge released Aidan Connolly and the winger fed Josh Fowler. Taking the ball on the turn he spun, shot and Stewart gathered.
The striker gave the two St Johnstone defenders a torrid time and got the better of them to score at the end of the first half. He wasn’t the only one as Queen’s Park took the game to the visiting defence.
They chased, harried and pressed. Tyrece McDonnell almost got a reward. He charged down the goalie and the ricochet clipped the top of the crossbar.
The Spiders rew in confidence against the team at the top of the league.
McDonnell then fizzed a low ball across goal after Charlie Fox had driven forward from the heart of defence and played in Fowler who shifted wide to McDonnell. The dangerous ball was not far from being converted by Roddy Macgregor sliding in.
But the goal came against the SPiders’ attacking intent. An attacking free-kick from Longridge was quickly turned over and played upfield by the visitors and stroked in off the post by Fotheringham – unmarked wide on the right and played onside by Pignatiello on the opposite flank.
If that took the wind out of Spiders’ sails Josh Fowler lifted the spirits and then some six minutes later.
He bulldozed by Morgan Boyes and breezed past Jack Baird on a charging run through the attacking third and steered a sensational strike low beyond Toby Steward for the leveller – and that J14 celebration was silencing another side in the William Hill Championship while the Spiders roared.
They had a sharp intake of breath eight minutes into the second half when another ex-Spider Jamie Gullan fired a low ball across Ferrie’s goal from Saints’ left wing.
There were no takers.
After an attacking first half the Spdiers were forced into a lot more defending in the second half. But as they’d coped with the storm last week in Dingwall, Euan Murray and particularly Charlie Fox excelled in the under siege moments in front of Ferrie.
Aidan Connollyu rafted an opening for Fowler on the 65th minute but the striker uncharacteristaically as off target and lay staring at the sky in disbelief. After an energy-sapping hour and five he deserved the short rest. They all did, but they all kept going.
Skipper Euan Murray played through the pain too after being caught in the ribs with 12 minutes to go, but recovered to take his place in the backline battling for the point.
Still the Saints tried and still the under-siege Spiders stood tall. Ferrie was to the fore late on with a big save to keep it level – but he was finally beaten in the 89th minute when McPake got in behind and squeezed in the winner from a tight angle.
Sean Crighton – who had pitched Josiah Sowa and Grant Savoury on in the second half to another loud cheer from the home end – added Timam Scott to the attack in a late roll of the dice and his ambitions almost paid off as a cross from Scott’s right-wing was nearly forced in by Matty Shiels, but it was not to be for the Spiders.
It’s a second home defeat of the season at The city Stadium, another tale of what might have been – but another optimistic sign that Crighton’s side Spiders are more than competitive in the second tier this season.
Next up, is Partick Thistle on Tuesday.